Storm Dennis.

Dear family, friends and followers.

Before I go on my usual ramble, I wanted to say " No one ever knows what someone is going through in their life, so before you say a nasty word, or do a nasty thing to someone, think".
The news at the moment is full of the death of Caroline Flack. I did not follow her, I did not watch 'Love Island', but for someone so young to take their own life, it has certainly made me stop and think. Everyday out there someone takes their own life needlessly. When you are going through depression, you cannot see a way out of your situation and everything seems to make your life feel so awful. It is not helped when you are being hounded by those who see fit to want to ruin your life. This therefore just makes the depression even worse and for some the only way they can see out of it is to take their own lives. The family and friends are left behind wondering what they could have done to change things and are left picking up the pieces. So please be kind. If you cannot say something nice, then it is better to say nothing at all. My condolences go out to Caroline's family and friends. Both the press and the media how a responsibility to act in a proper manner and we who use social media should do the same. It is making me feel more uneasy being on social media and yet we have so many wonderful friends who use social media and that includes our families. I am finding myself being more choosy about what I read and write and who I allow to read what I post. Which is very sad. We are entitled to an opinion, we are a country of free speech, but not when it is to the detriment to someelses well being. My one hope from this tragic needless death is it changes things. Let her death and that of others like her make a change for the good. I know I maybe hoping beyond hope, but where there is hope there is a chance.

Here we are on Sunday, post Storm Dennis. It was definitely worse than Storm Ciara on the rain front. We had more than enough rain dumped on us overnight.

The water level was at the top of our pontoon and in places the pontoon was under water.

The Sanitary station pontoon was flooded.

Our footpath was under water, when I stepped down off the boat (a long drop down)this morning to empty the ash pan. Because of all the rain, I went to check on the other boaters in the Arm, to make sure they were alright. There was some flooding, but everyone was fine on their boats and were keeping an eye on the boats which are not lived on.
The water level has dropped through the day, but we are still high out of the water and with more rain forecast, we will probably be going up and down for a while yet.
With the weather being so wet, there was no walking or gardening to be done. Instead I have spent my Sunday watching films and being online catching up with photograph sorting and social media. I am now longing for the day we take off cruising and sunnier days. Come the Summer we maybe praying for rain when we have none, but for now I think we have had enough and my heart goes out to all those who have suffered flooding and damage due to the Storms of the past two weekends. There is someone always worse off than ourselves and that we should all be mindful of.
As the day is moving towards the evening, the sun finally came out and the rain stopped, which is welcome. I am watching 'Dances with Wolves' which is a film I could watch over and over again.

May you hug the ones you love closer than ever and speak a kind word to those in need.

Pop back soon xxx